Nearly 100 school nurses from across New York state met in White Plains Tuesday for a conference on teen drug abuse.

Their main focus was the growing crisis of heroin, which the nurses say needs more funding to combat.

The group also discussed cheap synthetic drugs like K2 and Spice, which mimic the high of marijuana, but have dangerous side effects. The nurses learned how to spot and handle symptoms, which can include seizures.

A day earlier and less than a minute's drive down the road, police say three women and a man apparently overdosed on the synthetic drugs.

Health officials say that in the past year, hospitalizations as a result of synthetic marijuana have increased 229 percent. They estimate that it cost taxpayers around $22 million.